If I Never See Your Face Again
by Captain LN
Summary: Oh, so you think that he would just let himself die? It's all starting to make perfect sense... A Master!fic, post-Journey's End. Read and review! :D
1. The Return

**Author:** Me, of course!

**Rating:** T - there won't be any fluff, but it's written for a slightly more mature audience. Possible language later on. Maybe.

**Main Characters**: The Master, the Doctor, other main characters... ooh!

**Full Summary:** The Master would never sacrifice himself. But for that single moment, oh, wonderful moment, the Doctor knew that he was gone. And, for a little while, he was lost in the abyss of death. But after all of these years, would the Master ever suddenly want to stop living? Things are never as they seem, and... well, you need to see more, I won't give everything away! :D

**Setting:** Post 'Journey's End'. Everything's a spoiler!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, as always. Gutted.

* * *

The hand clicked forward, and then she clicked the watch shut. Silver circles entwined along the surface, giving terrible warnings. The watch had been closed for a reason._ I suffered enough to be free._ If she kept repeating that to herself, then maybe she would believe it. Although the watch was now just a trinket, the memories wouldn't let the woman abandon it. Not here, not now. Sighing, her hand rested against her nose and lips. It was the hand with the watch. Clasped tightly, the metal soon warmed, giving a hint to what it had once contained.

She couldn't hide it forever, though. He would know what it was. He would _feel_ it. That's why she had used the watch so quickly to start off with. Too much had gone on before he had the chance to notice a tickling at the back of his mind. She closed the door and waited.

--

It was funny how facts came rushing back to your mind. The Doctor had felt it when he had stopped being the human 'John Smith'. Rolling her head around her neck, the blonde ran manicured fingers back through her hair. It was long and thick. There was an obvious widow's peak at the tip of her hairline, something that she had missed terribly. How had her nails suddenly been painted red? Was that part of the watches' power? How could she forget?

Still, she needed to see herself in a mirror. Picking up the ring, she was a little upset that it wouldn't fit any more. Maybe she could rework it into something smaller, daintier perhaps. This would take a lot of getting used to.

Behind her, the fire still burned angrily. Pyres hated being left alone: they were the guardians, the guides of death. Now, cloth was its only companion to the gates of Hell. Despite herself, she smirked. Everything was far too confusing. How had she come here? There had been a flash, and suddenly she was back here, watching and remembering. Although she should have stopped, she remembered the ring that had been left. It was a silvery metal, mounted with green and circles of ancient words. That should never have been left behind.

Now, it was time to go back. Earth. The Doctor would be there. Giving a brief shake to her head, she returned to her TARDIS. It was a police box. Black, though, the wood highly polished. Her human form now gone, the drums had reclaimed their place at the front of her mind and demanded it. Now that she was back, apparently with more regenerations, she could finally become Master – Mistress – of All.

* * *

**Additional:** ZOMG! I've been away ages, haven't I? Well, expect many more updates from moi. The 'What If' series by TheChibisAreStalkingMe have given me a kick to write more DW fics. Reviews make my muse work faster! Oh, and there's more revelations to come... you know how much I love messing with the Mister Master... :D


	2. The Miss

The Doctor shuffled papers on the metal grid. It was hard to keep busy, but he was managing as best as he could. When he had first returned to Earth after the Time War, he had convinced himself that he didn't need anyone. He had embraced the loneliness, content to just travel and hide from emotion. Then, he met Rose, and… well, he hadn't been alone for long since. There always seemed to be another human around him, asking questions and generally bothering him. Yes, there were times that the Doctor had pretended to be irritated by constant questioning, but he really enjoyed it. The sound of his own voice was there to prove that he was still alive: that was probably the main reason that his current incarnation never stopped talking. Or was that simply how he was?

There was no way that he was going to freeze against the universe. Although his companions had all left, the Doctor knew that it was for the best. Even Rose would be happy in the other universe. A human counterpart of himself would give her everything that she needed. They would grow old together, and… would they have a family?

That wasn't the type of thought that allowed the Doctor to relax and laugh. Shaking it away, the Time Lord returned to the papers spread out across the floor. Who said that he wasn't a genius on all levels? As the TARDIS hummed her usual purr, the Doctor scribbled musical notes across a page. As if the background noise was part of his musical piece, the Doctor joined in, humming his own creation. If he had learned anything over the years, he knew that humans – companions – came and went. It was in the nature of everything. Although his last companions had been some of the closest, it was only natural that they would move on. They all had things to do. And so too did the Doctor. Still, he had hoped that their time together would have been a bit longer.

As he was lying on the metal grating, the Doctor shifted his position. With his left elbow bent, holding up his head, the Time Lord scribbled. The last few notes just weren't right: they didn't make sense there. Maybe an octave higher? Sighing, the answer didn't appear. Even without processing the pages through the TARDIS' computer, the Doctor already knew that it wouldn't sound the way he wanted it to. Maybe he would go back to it later.

Jumping up to his feet, he grabbed the paper and stuffed it all under the main control panel. Sometimes the coral design came in handy, leaving a bit of extra space under the curved console. Sniffing, he then strode to the other side of the central column, slumping down on the torn captain's chair.

Chips. The Doctor smiled. Standing up, he then moved to pull the TARDIS out of the vortex. Where else could he stay in safety, out of trouble? But now, he had a purpose. Brilliant. Being around humanity was soothing. Although each human reminded him of everything – and everyone – that he had lost, they also reminded him of the wonderful times they had together. So… chips.

It took a few minutes of typical Doctor dashing before the TARDIS materialised in the middle of London. Down an alley in the middle of London, obviously. Stepping outside of the blue police box, the Time Lord took in a deep breath of polluted Earth air and smiled for a moment. The expression only lasted for a moment, though. As soon as the smile disappeared, the Doctor ran right back into the TARDIS and made sure that he returned to the vortex, his hearts beating twice as fast as normal.

Swallowing, he pulled out the papers from underneath the TARDIS console. The chips would have to wait until later. For now, it would be safer away from Earth. In that moment, the Doctor had spotted what could have only been a future incarnation. The TARDIS of another incarnation, anyway. Meeting himself from the past or future was always a bad idea.

Well, it had to be himself, right? Who else would have a police box in twenty-first century London? Even if it was black and shiny…

* * *

**A/N:** _Oh noes! I couldn't resist putting in a cheesy reference to the scene specially written for the Doctor Who Proms. Oh, dear... and the Doctor makes himself chipper. He has to, doesn't he? But what did he really see at the end? We know, of course... mwahah! The next chapter will be right back with the new Master- err, 'Mistress,' and we'll start to understand what's really going on... reviews make me work faster! :D_


End file.
